Micromax to launch Android Oreo Go OS-based 'Bharat Go' smartphone soon

Home-grown information technology company Micromax on January 15 announced the launch of Bharat Go, a smartphone based on Google Android Oreo Go edition. The smartphone is expected to be unveiled by the end of January.

“Taking the mission of connecting the unconnected ahead, and providing the best in class mobility devices, Micromax will introduce Bharat Go to deliver optimised Android experience as an entry level smartphone to millions of Indian consumers,” said the statement from the company.

Google Android Oreo Go is a highly optimised version of Android Oreo. The operating system is designed to work on budget smartphones with limited hardware prowess. It comes with a dedicated set of apps from Google, which according to the company’s claim takes less space than conventional apps found in regular version of Android Oreo.

A few years back, Google did an experiment on the similar lines when the company unveiled Android One initiative. With Android One, Google aimed to boot budget devices with Android operating system with a promise of regular updates. However, the lack of support for low-end hardware and only a handful of early adopters, the initiative did not see much traction.

Now, with the Android Go edition, the company again intends to target the low-end devices. However, this time, the company has optimised the operating system to make it compatible with low-end devices. Interestingly, the Go version also brings in data saving, app storage and file sharing features that makes it a go for budget smartphones.